The Department of Health is launching a national lung cancer symptom awareness campaign on 8 May 2012 which will run until 30 June 2012. The campaign will raise public awareness of the symptoms of lung cancer and encourage people with persistent symptoms to go to see their GP. The campaign target audience are people over the age of 55 years. The national campaign will feature on national TV, press and radio and promoted through a wider range of channels.
This national campaign follows the positive results of a lung cancer symptom awareness pilot campaign in the Midlands in October and November last year which showed:
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A significant increase in public awareness of the symptoms of lung cancer
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A 23% increase in the number of people visiting their GP with the relevant symptoms (the impact of the pilot campaign equated to an average of 2.4 additional patients with relevant symptoms per practice per week).
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An increase in referrals for chest x rays and chest CT scans compared with the same period in the previous year
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Very strong support for the campaign with 94% of the public and 87% of GPs surveyed agreeing it was "important that ads like this are shown"
GPs and primary care teams will play a vital role in the success of this national lung cancer symptom awareness campaign.
To help primary care colleagues to prepare for this campaign the Department of Health, together with the National Cancer Action Team and Cancer Research UK, has developed a short electronic factsheet with key information about the campaign for GPs and for Practice Teams.
You can click on the links below to access these factsheets (and additional links to further online resources).
For further information about the lung cancer symptom awareness campaign please contact Beth Capper in the Cancer Policy Team at the Department of Health on beth.capper@dh.gsi.gov.uk
